Brighton today retains few of the images of my childhood although no one would hope to experience again my earliest memory which occurred soon after the war in Europe ended and when the beach had not been cleared of its defences. My first visual memory of the seaside is looking from the promenade over the barbed wire and anti tank emplacements at the sea for the first time, followed by a meal at cafe the other side of a deserted Kings Road having been able to park on the upper promenade roadside.
I also possess visual images and feelings from the years of the decade between 1934 and 1956 of a coach trip in what appeared to be a solid traffic jam all the way from Brighton back home and of packed special excursion trains followed by the walk down the hill from the station to the pebble beach packed with day trippers, of starting to cry when the aunties went to the loo leaving me alone at the station for what seemed a long time, of being picked up and dropped into the ocean by the eldest cousin who had returned from being a POW in the war and who was still very much a boy despite his traumatic experiences in North Africa, Italy and central Europe.
It was not the 1980’s that I commenced to revisit including a stay at the Grand Hotel attending a conference, taking the “aunties” for a day return by car visit and then in the 1990’s returning, often by car passing through the Town on the way to the County Cricket ground at Hove to watch Durham play Sussex. I recall one visit in the 1990’s when I was able to park the vehicle on the lower promenade and walked the full length of the pier something I did not do again until my visit in the evening sunshine of June 13th 2012 .
The Pier is now only one symbol of the many faces of a town that became a City in 2000 and which many regard as London by the sea. While I appreciate why this observation is made it is not one I share except that the large area of the Laines to the north of the Lanes has similarities with Camden because of the nature of the stores than say the Shambles in York, while the area in which the Travel Lodge when I am staying is located is similar to that of the Newcastle Quayside, to Whitely Bay and South Shields in the North East or Blackpool in the North West than any part of London. While there are likely to be more homosexual and Lesbian individuals and couples throughout London, the concentration in Brighton results in a higher general visibility and same applies in relation to conference visitors. Similarly, despite the University of Sussex having its campus outside the city and Brighton University covering campuses in Eastbourne, Hastings, Moulescoomb and at Falmer outside the city centre. I obtained the same feel as a town with a high dependency on students as one does in Newcastle or Sunderland.
There is also the cosmopolitan feel with plenty of ethnic run or ethnic specialising stores and restaurants although there is no sense of the ethnic ghettos that now dominate large areas of the capital, and in fact if anything Brighton which used be considered a working class seaside resort for Londoners along with Southend and Margate has become increasingly gentrified. This was evident on my walk along the pier, observing passers when sitting in Churchill Square, or buying food in Marks and Spencers.
The pier still retains three traditional features as somewhere you can buy ice cream, rock and candyfloss, fish and chips and food on the go, as where you can quickly lose all your change playing slot machine which offer much but provide less and thirdly where to can sit sheltered or in full sunshine on a bench or deckchair and enjoy the sea air and views along the coast to the Sussex downs. I noted that the seating was occupied by a number of people on their own of both sexes who were evidently local rather than visitors and I suggest some visit on a regular basis when the weather permits. The pier opens at ten and closes at night to prevent use by the homeless and the beggars. While entrance to the pier is free I suspected that security will prevent the street people from using the pier to beg, sell the Big Issue or as a place to rest and pass the day. I also noted one area of fast food concession which offered Noodles, Fried Rice and Indian Spice and that an Asian gentleman was serving in the kiosk offering Belgian Waffles.
Cornet ice creams were on offer from £1.99 to £2.99 and the tub at £2.50. Cod/fish and chips can become a luxury food according to the establishment with one near pier restaurant offering £3.70 for the fish £1.40/£2 for chips whereas the Mariner‘s restaurant kiosk on the pier offered fish and chips for £6.50 or a family size offering of chips for £4. The restaurant where the price rose to £8 was closed for a function which I wondered if this was the for the GMB union which was holding its conference and where on the Tuesday evening I noted flyers for the Socialist Party of Great Britain fringe meeting aimed at conference delegates.
There are two slot machine arcades, one a huge hall where I paid particular attention the horse racing game where ten pence purchases one of six horses who offer returns from twenty pence to two pounds and where as a young person I loved participating in the long track multi horse races which required every horse to be purchased by a visitor. No longer are there housey housey (Bingo) games which also required a full number of participants and which are now a feature of online electronic gambling, offering significant financial prizes.
The famous Palace theatre by which the Pier is known has long since been demolished and not replaced but the large end of pier area has now been given over to a large number of dramatic thrill rides costing from £2 to £5 in £1 tokens with the offer of £30 for £20.
The star attraction is the Booster, a tall 37 meter single swing arm in which the person is held with legs free and where four passengers at each end are swung thirteen revolutions a minute at speed for £5 individually £40 a time. There was a Flume ride to one side and two roller coasters and well as the biggest ghost train house I have seen, the traditional helter skelter, horse roundabout, one way dodgem cars and Waltzer and for £2 you could have three attempts to ride bull with a prize if you stayed on for more than thirty seconds. There was also trampolines and bounce mats as well as rides for little people. A large over 18’s only drinking hall was closed with redevelopment work going on one end while the second at the end of the posh fish and chip restaurant was packed with those enjoying the ability to drink in the open air if they were not interested in the early evening football match.
Adjacent to the entrance to the pier is a large wheel 50 metres in height similar to that now also at York and less than half the height of the London Eye at 120 metre. The cost ranged from £8.50 adults to the hire of a unit which for the maximum adults(6) and children(2) worked out more favourably, or where the VIP unit included a private waiting area and glass bottom floor, luxury seating for 4 at £55 or with a half bottle of champagne £75. Unlike the walk in an stand London Eye where you get a single revolution, here you get three and of course the time it takes to unload and reload passengers. With the pier closed on my early morning walk I had sat for a while on the only available roadside promenade seat to watch the daily maintenance and safety checks. Since a situation on a pier ride some years ago the Pier Management, part of the Noble organisation, has its own Health and Safety on-site manager.
Talking of comfortable seating, I noted the up market nature of the drink establishments along the beach side included some settees and comfy chairs and not a deck chair in sight, including on the beach where there were a surprising number of people stretched out in the late afternoon. No one was in the sea though!
While there are arts and crafts outlets on the lower promenade there is only one area of traditional fish and chip restaurants along the Brighton Beach, around the corner from the Travel Lodge, Odeon and Brighton Centre Complexes. There are then hotels including a large Thistle which boasts a Faulty Towers style restaurant, and then the fish and chip restaurants, rock shops where Kings Road become the Grand Junction Road, north of which are the Lanes, the Old Stein with the National Express Coach station and the internationally famous Royal Pavilion. I have now stayed in Brighton twice in this decade, promising myself a visit to the Pavilion and to Cineworld at the new Marina complex. I have on a previous day trip visit to city used the train which goes from the just after the pier close to Marina complex. Before talking about some of the other faces of Brighton I must mention finding one establishment on my exploration which offered either the Original Opera Mayhem or a clone group were three zany singers sings well known arias and also comedy numbers such as a sung moonlight Sonata three or maybe four nights a week from 8pm with no additional entrance fee and meals at reasonable prices. I noted the eat all you can breakfast for under £6.
Talking of food I abandoned my usual practice of buying in pan au chocolate and Danish pastries for breakfast and enjoyed a bacon roll on Monday morning, a £2.98 traditional breakfast at the Wetherspoons a few doors up from Hotel on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and did not need anything on Wednesday settling for just a cup of coffee.
For midday I had a mixture with an excellent albeit expensive Penne with chicken and mushrooms at Ask, Worthing with a dish of green olives starter and a bottle of still water and ice, with salami soft rolls one day, and a small M and S Baguette filled with salami chunks on Tuesday and Wednesday and a Boots Ham and Pickle Sandwich on Thursday together with an orange juice part of the Boots £3.29 meal deal. I enjoyed the carrot cake slice with a cup of tea later in my room. My other treats were a small packet of salted peanuts at lunchtime which led to the purchase of a can of coke from a nearby local store, used on previous occasions for can of cold coke and cold water all at premium prices although not as expensive as the bottle of coke available at the Travel Lodge for £1.50 and then an 80p choc bar with nuts. I enjoyed salami rolls one evening with a cuppa soup and had a burger meal with a diet Pepsi at McD one evening for £2.73 and a beef Burger and chips with Pepsi on two evenings at the Wetherspoons at £ 3.98.
I did not have a great night on Sunday only managing to use the sleep Apnea machine for one session as although tired my head was buzzing with the events of the day. I woke well before six and counted the minutes when I though I would be able to go to the Wetherspoons for a bacon roll. Alas when I approached the entrance a sign proudly boasted we are open at eight o clock whereas my local starts at seven, or at least did. I walked on up the hill. There were a plethora of coffee shops along the Western Road with the entrance to Churchill indoor shopping mall on the left side as I walked towards Hove. I also noted a McD across from a KFC and continued my walk passed the store which has the greatest variety of olives anywhere encountered. deciding to return in order to reach the Wetherspoons just after eight. However on reaching McD I could wait no longer and enjoyed one of their bacon rolls for just under £2 which is premium pricing given that a McD burger with chips and a drink cost under £3. Later I saw a Subway offer of a bacon or sausage roll with coffee for £2. This thoroughfare after Churchill Square runs parallel to the coast and provides local shopping and restaurant eating primarily for residents and workers.
On returning to my room I rested and then prepared to watch former Prime Minister Gordon Brown appear before the Leveson Inquiry. I was only able watch the first hour before deciding I did not want to watch further. He always possessed a self righteous manner emphasising his Scottish Kirk upbringing and now he reminded of Ted Heath, a man who never appeared to accept rejection by his own party with the rise of Margaret Thatcher. I am also concerned about someone who keeps saying he must tell the truth. Like Ted Heath I thought Brown sounded pathetic and also a man who hoped for vindication and a summons to lead a political party and become Prime Minister once more. I cannot see him settling for a Ministerial post like Ian Duncan Smith or William Hague, two other Tory party leaders who were rejected by the populace rather than their own party.
I wrote the above on Monday evening after watching the news reports and taking a quickly look at the on line transcript so my judgement is more soundly based than the brief experience of watching him live which I thought sad and embarrassing. I have now seen former Prime Ministers Tony Blair and John Major as well as current Prime Minister David Cameron, Deputy Prime Minister Clegg and Party Leader Ed Miliband and Deputy Leader Harman, George Osborne and Hunt, plus Business Secretary Cable and I thought they all came out of their sessions with reputations protected and some strengthened. The one exception is Brown whom in my judgement has got his just deserts from the Electorate, his colleagues and now at the Leveson Inquiry.
Looking outside and seeing it was dry I decide to go on an explore of the Lanes, commencing in the southern group adjacent to the hotel and then walking northward towards the station when the running off from the Laines are streets of colourful terrace cottages. There are several hundred stores leading some to describing the area as Camden by the sea and with similar inflated pricing for food and drink. There innumerable dress shops, antique/craft stores.
It was only on return that I realised my interest on the walk and on a previous walk was not in the Tourist trap Lanes but the North Laine mixture of avant-garde shops including bookshops, independently owned small business and a wider range of restaurants, pubs and bars plus the Comedy theatre centre. The area is a Mecca for radical, art folk, and students with a sense of being a village. While Lane is what it says, Laines is a more ancient name referring to fields.
Brighton boasts several hundred eateries (400) a greater concentration anywhere other than in London and which explains the pricing given that I suspect the money on those located especially in the Lanes is made only at weekends and perhaps other weekend days where the Festival is on or other events which bring visitors to stay in the city. It is noticeable that families use the Wetherspoons and apart from the Yates Lodge there are only the two Mc D’s and KFC and the British Home Stores in the Churchill centre which offers family eating. There is also Spud U like as a sit down in the Churchill centre adjacent to McD. There are plenty of Subways, Pizza slices and coffee shops and one other Wetherspoons but this is not a place for ordinary family eating out unless you are willing able to pay £40-£50 plus and in fact this is my conclusion about Brighton is that although it is a city with much to offer including for those who appear to live on the street, it is not a city for those with families, particular young families.
I learned that a month’s rain had fallen Sunday overnight in the region in one seaside town causing the flooding of over one hundred and fifty properties when the drains could not cope and water rose through floor boards close to a swollen river usually no more than a stream. On Monday it was dull and looked as if would rain at anytime but stayed clear for me to and watch the second half of England playing France after a 1.1 score in the first half.
On arrival at the Travel Lodge I noted that only one of the two lifts was in working order and after pressing the button summoning the lift to the 7th floor I noted that it appeared to be held and I could here the cries of a man calling for help “Can anyone here me?” I therefore found stairs going downward at one end of the building and which provides excellent views across Brighton from semi circular windows. In reaching reception to report the problem the fire brigade had arrived and later I learned had released the man although the lift remained out of use until the following day. The pubs were crowded with security personnel hired. There were no further score although France looked as if they would score against an England side without Carroll and Rooney ineligible. On return I took my time on the climb back to the room.
It was also dull with spitting rain as I set off to catch the 700 to meet someone for lunch and visit the Worthing Museum and Art Gallery on Tuesday. Although I have made the journey from Worthing to Brighton/Hove for some reason I allowed time to get to Shoreham which I had visited on Sunday evening forgetting that it is another 15 to 20 minutes from there via Lancing to Worthing. It was spitting rain when I returned after lunch. It was only on Wednesday that the sun shone from early morning through to the evening. There was sun for breakfast and for lunchtime outings but the wind was getting up and chilling and in the evening I made the mistake of not taking my umbrella and had to rush back to avoid a drenching. It is fortunate that Brighton is no longer dependent in the London day tripper heading fir the seaside. Having said this I noted the large number of large office blocks and office accommodation sites advertised as available. I noted the availability of several four double bedroom properties available for renting by students or those prepared to share common other facilities at prices in the region of £80-£100 per person a week.
